Tufting machine with shifting needle bar



Nov. 5, 1963 H. A. BATTY ETAL 3,109,395

TUFTING MACHINE WITH SHIFTING NEEDLE BAR Filed March 27, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

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1963 H. A. BATTY ETAL 3, 0

TUFTING MACHINE WITH SHIFTING NEEDLE BAR Filed March 2'7, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORSI. 2 HARRY A.BATTY ED B. BROADRICK Nov. 5, 963 H. A. BATTY ETAL 3,109,395

TUFTING MACHINE WITH SHIFTING NEEDLE BAR Filed March 27, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS. HARRY A.BATTY ED B. BROADRICK United States Patent 3,1tl9,395 TUFTING MACHINE WITH SHIFTING NEEDLE BAR Harry A. Batty, Lexington, Va., and Ed B. Broadricir,

Tiger, Ga., assignor to James Lees and Sons Company,

Bridgeport, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 98,580 3 Claims. (Cl. 112-79) This invention pertains to improvements in equipment for producing tufted pile fabrics and more particularly to a tufting machine and the fabric in which the needle bar is shifited laterally across the backing cloth during the tufting operation to provide a pattern efiect. The shifting increments of the needle bar are controlled by means of a suitable pattern attachment.

In the production of tufted pile floor coverings, it has been found highly desirable to eliminate insofar as possible lines or streaks which run both longitudinally and transversely of the fabric. This, of course, is particularly desirable in the use of multi-colored yarns so that the different colors can be broken up to provide an overall homogeneous color efiect rather than a series of lines which are more or less in rows running in both directions on the fiabric. While we are aware that previous attempts have been made to overcome this disadvantage, each one of the prior proposals has some inherent defect. The present invention has been found to provide a much more controllable machine to permit higher speeds and to produce better effects. Devices in which the backing fabric is shifted can be less accurately controlled and therefore the desired definition of pattern cannot be achieved.

A primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide improved control mechanism in a itufting machine tor laterally displacing or oscillating the needle bar in accordance with a pre-determined pattern.

A further object of the invention is to provide pattern controlled linkage for a slidable needle bar which permits lateral movement of the needle bar simultaneously with ventical oscillation thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel method for tufting a multiple pile fabric.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of a portion of a multineedle pile fabric tufting machine with parts omitted for clarity showing the mechanism for controlling and shifting the needle bar,

FIGURE 2 is a schematic view showing the back of a tufted pile fabric produced on the tufting machine shown in FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary showing of the needles and loopers of the machine of FIGURE 1.

The invention comprises essentially the provision of a pattern shifting mechanism for the needle bar of a multineedle tufting machine which accurately and precisely controls the lateral position of the needle bar so that it is moved a precise lateral increment permitting selective engagement by the loopers of difierent needles.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a tufting machine is partially shown FIGURE 1 having an upper housing 5 in which the conventional cra-nkshatt and other operating mechanism is contained. Housing 5 is supported on a side frame member 6 of the tufti-ng machine which contains the mechanism for vertically oscillating the needle bar 7. The vertical oscillation or reciprocation of needle bar 7 is in general done in accordance with the well-known construction of such a tutting machine. In the present case, however, the lower supports for the needle bar are modified to provide a series of "ice ways 8, 8 in which the needle bar 7 is laterally shiftable or slidable. Ways 8 are mounted on connecting rods 9, 9 which in turn oscillate vertically in sleeves or guides 10, It). The mechanism for vertically actuating needle bar 7 and connecting rods 9, 9 is well known and need not be more fully described herein.

Needle bar 7 is provided with a plurality of needles lit-2i which are accurately located in the needle bar with respect to each other. Preferably the distance between the needles is on the order of /s or 7 of an inch and this designation constitutes the gauge of the tufting machine. A broad tufting machine is provided with 1200- 1500 needles in the needle bar and each needle is in alignment with its cooperating looper designated 21-39. In any given adjusted position of the needle bar, it is essential that there be a corresponding looper to engage the pile yarn carried by each needle. It will, therefore, be appreciated that the shifting increments of the needle bar as well as the location and parallelism of the needles must be most accurately controlled and maintained. The loopers are not laterally shiftable but merely oscillate to momentarily engage the yarns in the needles thereby preventing the formation of double loops.

The mechanism for thus accurately controlling the shifting increments of needle bar 7 comprises a drive shaft 35 which is turned by the main actuating mechanism for the tufting machine such as the crankshaft, not shown. A sprocket 36 is keyed to shaft 35 and chain 37 on sprocket 36 drives a larger sprocket 38 keyed to shaft 39. A suitable adjustable speed reducing unit 49 is driven by the input shafit 39 and this in turn controls a pattern wheel 41 which carries a pattern chain assembly 42. This chain assembly 4-2 is provided with a series of links having various heights; a high link being shown at 4'3 and a low link being shown at 44. Intermediate heights of links may also be provided to determine the degree of shifting of the needle bar 7. The use of such links which can be very accurately machined is very important in maintaining the most precise control of the position of the needle bar during a shifting increment. Pattern wheel 41 is keyed to a stub shaft 45 which is the output shaft of the speed reducing unit 40. Shaft 45 is journaled in a pillow block 46 in turn mounted on a bracket 47. The pattern control as determined by the height of chain 4-2 is transmitted to the needle bar 7 through a cam follower or roller 50 mounted on a bellcrank 51 pivoted in bracket 52. Link 53 connects crank 51 with an arm 54 keyed to shaft 55 which is also journaled in bracket 52. A second arm or lever 56 is keyed to the opposite end of shaft 55 and the shaft is journaled in a pillow block 57 mounted on the housing or frame 6. Movement of lever 56 is transmitted [to a connecting rod 58 provided with anti-backlash bearings 59, 59 at each end thereof one of which is joined to a a block 69 on the needle bar 7. Accurate alignment and control of the needle bar is maintained by bearings throughout the actuating mechanism which have minimum or zero backlash. A spring 61 urges cam follower 50 against the links of the chain. This is found to be of considerable importance to prevent floating or inaccurate following of the height of the links. Spring 61 i anchored at one end in a fixed bracket 62 as shown in FIGURE 1.

The looper assembly comprises a looper rockshaft 65 which is mounted in housing 6 and which carries an elongated looper anchor bar 66 in which each of the loopers 21-30 is accurately secured by means of setscrews or other suitable devices well known. The movement of shaft 65 which carries the loopers is limited to rotary oscillation only and the shaft and loopers are maintained in a fixed lateral plane without end play. This insures accurate registry of the loopers and the needles in every shifted position of the needle bar.

respect to the loopers.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, a typical fabric which may be produced on the present machine comprises a backing material 70 which is customarily of a woven burlap or other material fed through the tufting machine between the loopers and the needles. A throat plate for maintaining the backing fabric in proper position has been omitted from the showing of FIGURES l and 3 in the interests of clarity. Reference to Ebersold 2,784,- 688 and Smith 2,879,730 patents for a showing of the throat plate and backing fabric feed may be made for purposes of amplification of this structure. The pile yarns designated 71-81 in FIGURE 2 may be shifted laterally for as many as seven or more loopers. In the showing of FIGURE 2 a lateral shift of seven is in dicated. In order to avoid long floats on the back of the fabric, however, the increments of shift are only one looper for each row of stitches. This, however, can be varied if desired. A fabric with long back floats would ordinarily be inferior due to the loss of coverage on the face and the use of too much pile yarn on the back.

Assuming therefore that each shift is an increment of one looper only, yarns 71-8-1, reading from bottom to top in FIGURE 2, shift to the right the distance of one looper. Then a pile projection on the opposite face of the fabric is formed when the needles penetrate the fabric. On the next upstroke of the needle bar a further shift of one looper or gauge movement is called for by the pattern chain 42. This provides a series of slanted or biased stitches in the back of the fabric as shown at the bottom of FIGURE 2. With the pile yarns all displaced two looper distances from the initial position, the pattern chain calls for two straight rows of stitches in the displaced position.

. The next shift of the needle bar is one looper to the right and so on for four succeeding shifts. This is a total displacement of seven looper distances in the same direction. The return to the initial position of the needle bar may be efiected one looper at a time or in any desired increment relative to lateral and longitudinal movement of the fabric. By Way of example, the return in FIGURE 2 is achieved by means of three shifts to the left, then a single straight stitch, two more shifts to the left, a straight stitch, and one shift to the left. This returns the needles to the intial starting position with A fabric tufted in this way contains a great variety of possibiliities for breaking up streakiness or striations :and permits most interesting and unusual design effects when differently colored yarns are utilized. FIGURE 2 shows the employment of three different colors in the yarns. Any number of colors may be employed and the needles may be threaded with the same colored yarns running in adjacent needles or in any other desired manner to give the proper effect. It has been found that greater coverage can be achieved in in this manner'thus permitting the use of less pile yarn per unit area.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, the precise manner in which the needles 11-20 in the loopers 21-30 cooperate with each other will be explained. Also, it is noted that the loopers shown in FIGURE 3 are of the type used in forming uncut pile projections. It will be appreciated that cut pile loopers may be substituted for the uncut loopers in FIGURE 3 or any in-between arrangement of such loopers. Some machines are provided with loopers which may be selectively controlled to produce either cut or uncut pile. With the needle bar 7 in the position of FIGURE 3, yarn 71 is engaged by looper 21, yarn 72 by looper 22, and so on. The first shift, however, re-

quires a lateral change of one gauge increment so that after the first shift, yarn 71 is engaged by looper 22,

yarn 72 by looper 23, and so forth. On the next shift,

yarn 71 will be engaged by looper 23 and yarn 72 by looper 24-. Thus, the yarns are progressively shifted in increments of one looper distance for each shift of the needle bar and they may be shifted in either direction in accordance With the control of the links on chain 42. Preferably a maximum shift is on the order of seven or eight looper distances or longitudinal rows of pile stitches. This, however, may be varied more if desired, but the uneven selvedges of the fabric that would be produced create a practical maximum for the shifting of the needle bar.

It will be thus be understood that We have provided an apparatus for shifting the needle bar in a tufting machine which successfully permits the transfer of yarns from looper to looper across the width of the machine. The control system for the needle bar is. therefore accurately constructed and machined so that no backlash is present and the pattern chain links are so constructed that each needle in the needle bar when controlled by any given link is accurately in alignment with one of the loopers. The ability to shift the needle bar and maintain looper registry without the necessity of shifting the loopers with the needle bar is an important feature of the present invention and proved to be a problem not easily overcome.

The fabrics produced with the present invention are highly desirable since far more accurate control of the lateral pile variation is possible with the present invention as compared to the devices which in the past have shifted the backing fabric. Such shift of the backing fabric can at best produce a wavy motion in the pile without any accurate definition for the shift direction. The present device may be used in conjunction with the backing fabric shift, types of which are well known and one of which is described in United States patent to Manning et al. 2,855,879.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a tufting machine of the type having a plurality of needles reciprocating in a predetermined plane, a needle bar on which said needles are rigidly mounted in fixed lateral spaced relation to each other, means for advancing a backing material through the tufting machine for sequential penetration by the needles to carry pile yarns through the backing material, a supporting member for the needle bar in which the needle bar is laterally shiftable to cause the needles to produce pile yarn stitches laterally spaced from yarn stitches of a previous penetration, a plurality of laterally immovable loopers oscillating in fixed paths on the opposite side of the backing material to engage yarns carried by the needles, and means for shifting the needle bar laterally with respect to the loopers, the improvement which comprises a pattern chain having raised links corresponding to a lateral shifting increment of the needle bar, means for driving the pattern chain and the needle bar supporting member in timed relation to each other to effect a lateral shifting of the needles carried by the needle bar with respect to and without any shifting of the laterally immovable loopers, a roller for contacting said links, members operatively connecting the needle bar and the roller, and means including a spring for urging the said members in one direction whereby backlash in said ele ments is eliminated and accurate vertical alignment of each needle in successive lateral shift positions with respect to a laterally immovable looper is achieved.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 having a pattern wheel for the pattern chain, a speed reducer drivingly connecting to the pattern wheel, and driving con nections from the speed reducer to the tufting machine.

3. In a multi-needle pile tufting machine a shifting needle bar control mechanism which comprises a plurality of vertically oscillating connecting rods, a Way secured to the bottom of each of said connecting rods, a needle bar slidably mounted in each of said ways, a plurality of pile yarn needles accurately spaced in said needle bar with the lateral spacing between each needle being equal, a looper rockshaft mounted underneath the needle bar and having no end play therein, a plurality of fixed loopers mounted in said looper rockshaft, the spacing of the loopers in the rockshaft being the same as the spacing of the needles in the needle bar and the spacing between each looper being equal, means for shifting the needle 5 bar in the ways in increments cor-responding to the lateral spacing of the needles and loopers without any shifting of said loopers, said means comprising a pattern chain, a spring-loaded cam follower urged against said pattern chain, and connecting elements between the cam follower 1 and the needle bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Koch Jan. 26, Rumpf Mar. 19, Amidon Mar. 16, Veitch Aug. 14, Manning et a1 Oct. 14, MacCaffray Apr. 12, Card Jan. 3,

Bryant et al Mar. 27, 

1. IN A TUFTING MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING A PLURALITY OF NEEDLES RECIPROCATING IN A PREDETERMINED PLANE, A NEEDLE BAR ON WHICH SAID NEEDLES ARE RIGIDLY MOUNTED IN FIXED LATERAL SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER, MEANS FOR ADVANCING A BACKING MATERIAL THROUGH THE TUFTING MACHINE FOR SEQUENTIAL PENETRATION BY THE NEEDLES TO CARRY PILE YARNS THROUGH THE BACKING MATERIAL, A SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR THE NEEDLE BAR IN WHICH THE NEEDLE BAR IS LATERALLY SHIFTABLE TO CAUSE THE NEEDLES TO PRODUCE PILE YARN STITCHES LATERALLY SPACED FROM YARN STITCHES OF A PREVIOUS PENETRATION, A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY IMMOVABLE LOOPERS OSCILLATING IN FIXED PATHS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BACKING MATERIAL TO ENGAGE YARNS CARRIED BY THE NEEDLES, AND MEANS FOR SHIFTING THE NEEDLE BAR LATERALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE LOOPERS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A PATTERN CHAIN HAVING RAISED LINKS CORRESPONDING TO A LATERAL SHIFTING INCREMENT OF THE NEEDLE BAR, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE PATTERN CHAIN AND THE NEEDLE BAR SUPPORTING MEMBER IN TIMED RELATION TO EACH OTHER TO EFFECT A LATERAL SHIFTING OF THE NEEDLES CARRIED BY THE NEEDLE BAR WITH RESPECT TO AND WITHOUT ANY SHIFTING OF THE LATERALLY IMMOVABLE LOOPERS, A ROLLER FOR CONTACTING SAID LINKS, MEMBERS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING THE NEEDLE BAR AND THE ROLLER, AND MEANS INCLUDING A SPRING FOR URGING THE SAID MEMBERS IN ONE DIRECTION WHEREBY BACKLASH IN SAID ELEMENTS IS ELIMINATED AND ACCURATE VERTICAL ALIGNMENT OF EACH NEEDLE IN SUCCESSIVE LATERAL SHIFT POSITIONS WITH RESPECT TO A LATERALLY IMMOVABLE LOOPER IS ACHIEVED. 